I just returned from the Russian-speaking Convention held in Moscow on November 22-24. What a great experience!

Two years ago, when a member pushed for the first-ever Russian-speaking convention in Moscow, I did not think the people were ready. They did not have much long-term sobriety, and the meetings were sparse and stagnant. But now—two years later—several members in Moscow have two years of sobriety, dating back to that first SA convention. They still remember exactly what inspired them in 2011, and they quote from the 2011 speakers sessions. This was quite inspiring.

At the 2011 convention, we had a panel discussion about the culture of sobriety. The panel was comprised of two Russian-speakers from the US and one from Poland. This year the panel was five people—including three Russian speakers who live in Russia! This is a great trend.

This year, 40 people attended the convention, including members from Kazan, Izhevsk, Saratov, and Vladivostok (the Pacific coast of Russia, near the Koreas), and from Kyiv (Ukraine), Minsk (Belarus), Tallinn (Estonia), Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

Friday night we held an open meeting, which included four guests who were not sexaholics. Two of them then attended the convention, because they recognized that they shared the problem. At the convention, the latest edition of the Russian translation of the White Book was unveiled. As a native Russian speaker, I can confirm that the translation is excellent.

Today, Moscow has three SA meetings each week, with at least 12 members attending each meeting. Interestingly, many of the SA members are women—possibly up to half of the members. I have no explanation for this (we do not have such attendance here in Chicago). In Moscow I met two women SAs who each had two years of sobriety, and three others with one year. And in Moscow and St. Petersburg there are two men with two years and three with over a year. Very cool!

Even though it might take a few years to see results, the convention here has been a great way to carry the message—as long as there are members to organize such events and members willing to sponsor and carry the message. There is strength in numbers! I’m grateful to the fellowship and to all of you who participated in this experience.

Regards,